Method of preventing overflow on lowlands lying adjacent to a stream



J. J. O'BRIEN METHOD OF PREVENTING OVERFLOW ON LOWLANDS LYING ADJACENTTO A STREAM Filed Sept. 30, 1918 2 Shets-Sheet l INvENT cm Jan. 6. 1925.1,522,322

J. J. 0' BRIEN METHOD OF PREVENTING OVERFLOW ON LOWLANDS LYING ADJACENTTO A STREAM Filed Sept. 30, 1918 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVE N'I'El R w MWPatented Jan. 6, 1925.

UNITED STATES 1,522,322 PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH J. OBRIEN, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

METHOD OF PREVENTING OVERFLOW' ON LOWLANDS LYING ADJACENT TO A STREAM.

Application filed September 30, 1918 Serial No. 256,357.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JosEPH J. OBRI N,

a citizen of the United States of- America, and resident of Springfield,in the county of Ham'pd-en and State of Massachusetts, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Methods of Preventing Over- Howon Lowlands Lying Adjacent to a Stream, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description. This invention relates toimprovements in methods and means for regulating the flow of rivers andstreams for the purpose of preventing the river and stream flow fromover flowing the banks, breaking through the banks, and destroyinglevees and other retaining works, with the result of wide spreadinundation and loss of lives and property.

Various systems have been applied to regulate river and stream flow andto prevent losses due to floods, but practically all of these systemshave involved some sort of variation, elevation, extension orstrengthening of the river or stream banks, or flow directing worksintended to locally intensify the velocity of stream flow.

Durin the flood season the channel of a river is congested with theflood waters and the capacity of the channel to accommodate theinflowing waters is exceeded, with the result that the flood watersovertlow the river banks and inundate the surrounding country.

The velocity which a stream attains during the period of normal flow orduring the period of flood flow is produced by the effective head in theriver channel, resulting from the grade of the channel and the volume ofwater moving therein. When this head is at its maximum the velocity ofthe river flow, due to its own conditions and forces, cannot increase,so that the capacity of the channel cannot be increased while thisvelocity remains constant.

The problem of controlling river floods has thus far been considered asa problem of widening, deeping, or increasing the extent of the riverchannel.

The writer has discovered,through long study and research that theproblem can be solved by increasing the velocity of the How of the riverstream, without altering the depth, width, height or character of theriver banks.

The capacity of any river channel to acconnnodate any volume of flooddlscharge is limited because the velocity attained by the flow of theriver during the period prior to flood and during flood is limited bytheenergy which is generated through gravity acting upon the mass of thevriver waters.

As a river approaches its mouth its grade decreases and its widthincreases. The river waters overflow the river banks and levees becausethe velocity of flow through the river mouth is not suflicient to insurethe discharge of all of the flood waters in the channel.

- The object of the present invention is to provide practical means anda method of accelerating the velocity of flow of a stream or river sothat the total amount of water discharged during a given period willequal the total amount of water required to be discharged to preventinundation due to excess flood flow overflowing the banks, andinundation will thus be prevented.

In carrying out the process it is not necessary that the [total volumeof the stream flow be caused to flow at greatly accelerated speed orvelocity, as will be later shown,vit is only necessary that the totaldischarge due to flow acceleratedby mechanical means shall be sufficientto prevent overflow. I

With the above and other objects in View the invention involves certainsteps and means shown in the accompanying drawings, which are describedin detail in following specification in which V Fig. 1 is a' plan of ariver or stream showing the application of the system or processthereto;

Fig. 2 is a plan showing the general arrangement of the flowaccelerating means in a river channel.

Fig. 3 is aplan of a centrifugal pump employed for accelerating thestream flow. 1 Fig. 4 is a cross section through a river channel,showing a series of pump discharge pipes therein, and means for varyingthe depth of submersion ofsuch discharge pipes.

Fig. 5 is a detail plan showing the arrangement of a series of pumpdischarge pipes, in a group of ten.

ig. 6 is a similar View of a group of thirty pump discharge pipes.

Fig. 7 is a detail view in longitudinal section of a barge or boat,showing the intake and discharge pipes of a centrifugal ptunp.

In the river channel A I dispose a series of pump discharge pipes B,which are shown to lead diagonally from the sides of the channel fromthe centrifugal or other pumps G, which are supported by boats or bargesb, or on land, and which are power driven through the medium of anelectric. motor, steam plant or otherwise as may be found expedient;

In Figs. 5 and 6 I show a specific grouping of a series of pumpdischarge pipes, wherein the discharge pipes B are positively coupled toeach other by welding or other suitable means, and are arranged inparallel relation so as to discharge toward the mouth of the riverchannel. In Fig. 5 I show a group of ten discharge pipes and inFig. 6 agroup of thirty discharge pipes. These pipes may be any suitablediameter and grouped in any desired relation.

The intake pipe D of each pump is preferably arranged nearer the surfaceof the water, so that a head of about one or two feet above the intakepipewill be provided. The outlet pipe is preferably directed toward thebed of the stream, so that its current will not interfere with thesurface navigation.

In order to regulate the depth of submersion of the discharge pipes Iconnect each group to a cable E, the ends of which are wound about thewinding drums F, which are located on the sides of the river channel oron barges or other supports, and which are power driven, so t-hat'theoutlets of the discharge pipes may be raised or lowered with referenceto the bed of the stream.

The pump discharge pipes may extend for any distance along the river orstream channel, but are preferably arranged near the mouth of the riverchannel, and so as to dis charge their contents into the central partsof the river channel.

It is a matter of applying sufficient energy to the river stream flowingthrough the channel in order to obtain the necesary velocity to providefor the required maximum discharge through the channel mouth. The amountof pumps necessary the horse power required to operate them to producethe necessary artificial head, and the disposition of the pump dischargeand intake pipes is a matter of local engineering study.

The capacity of a stream to transport sediment and rocks increases veryrapidly with the increase of its velocity, so that when the highvelocity stream moves over the channel bed it will pick up and carry outto sea a great deal of material deposited on the bed, and thus act toenlarge the area of the river channel. This action does not involve alifting of the materials thus acted on and transported by the pumps asin the case of the hydraulic dredges, so that the total energy of thepump is effective for direct useful work in transporting this material,when the discharge pipes are so adjusted as to produce a direct erosiveaction on the channel bed. The depth of submersion of the pump discharge pipes, the velocity of the high velocity stream produced thereby,and the number and adjustment of the discharge pipes will be determinedby the depth, area and gen eral nature of the river channel and thecharacter of the discharge into the sea, It isbelieved tha-ta stretch ofsay ten miles in one of the passes of the Mississippi River would besufficient to providethe necessary capacity, and the effect of suchdischarge would soon be dissipated by the waters of the Gulf into whichthe Mississippi discharges. The same' general rule applies to all otherrivers.

The principle involved in the discovery and invention herein set forthis that the carrying capacity of any river or stream channel may beindefinitely enlarged by increasing the head of the stream flow throughan artificial system of flow accelerators, such as pumps, and that thewhole volume of stream flow need not be place under such acceleratedflow. When only the central section of the river stream is thusaccelerated the banks of the river are not seriously eroded, and whaterosion does take place is useful to deepen the river channel.

The pump discharge pipes may be sup ported so that they will be heldabove the bed of the channel, so that the minimum frictional resistancewill be offered to the flow of the high velocity stream, or may beallowed to rest upon the bed of the channel, either during the whole orduring a portion of the period of operation, so that a power ful erosiveaction will be developed against the channel bed, which will act todeepen the channel and to transport the material freed from the channelto the sea.

The economic value of a river valley is considerably reduced by thedanger and constant fear of destructive floods. The river and the waterswhich are tributary thereto are laden with the most vital elements ofthe soil of the uplands, and the load thus transported is deposited inthe lowlands as the river approaches its mouth. So long as thesevaluable lowlands remain exposed and unprotected they will be in dangerof flood, and be swampy for a considerable period of the year, so as tobe inaccessible for con tinuous agricultural effort.

All previously propsed engineering systems for the regulation of riverand stream flow have aimed to delay or intensify the forces of gravityacting upon the river waters. The system now proposed involves theaddition of mechanical forces, so that the required hydraulic head-canbe established and continuously maintained, whereby any required maximumof discharge can be obtained.

If the flow through the mouth of the river is thus accelerated bymechanical energy the river stream will not swell to such a point thatthe inflowing stream or storm or flood waters will exceed the capacityof the river channel, and they will find accommodation The problem,therefore, of regulating the flood flow is one of acceleration to thepoint that the diameter of the river stream is contracted by reason ofaccelerated velocity, so that this contracted stream, while giving thefull or maximum flood discharge, has a cross sectional area. notexceeding the cross sectional area of the river channel.

\Vhen the velocity of flow in the river channel is artificiallyaccelerated by means of the system described the depth of the streamwill be limited by the diameter of the contracted stream produced bythis acceleration. As the velocity of any stream is increased, withoutan increase in volume of inflow, the diameter of the stream is lessened,and this contraction in the cross sectional area of a stream develops indepth more positively than in width, so that the surface of the streamfalls as t-he acceleration causes it to contract.

Vhen the surface of a river stream is: thus maintained safely below thatof its banks and the adjoining lands, it is easier for the intlowingstorm waters to flow through the river channel than to overflow thebanks and inundate the adjoining territory. The

contraction of the cross sectional area of the river stream thus insuresthat the height of the stream surface will always be main tained withinsafe limits. In short, this surface height is wholly dependent upon thevelocity of discharge through the river mouth or outlet. It is theslowness of this outflow which by impeding the flow through the channel,limits the capacity of the channel below that required by the inflowingflood or storm waters, and it is wholly because of this lack ofaccommodation and capacity that inundation results. lVhile local jettysystems and levee systems may locally intensify the velocity of flow, byincreasing the hydraulic head of the river, the incessant erosive actionof the river is bound to impair the utility of any such systems, and tosoon render them useless.

When the height of the surface of the river stream is thus held withinsafe limits by this system of acceleration of flow, the drainage ofadjoining lands can be effected more positively. Moreover, thedestructive action of the flood waters upon agricultural lands will'beheld within safe limits, asthe side flow of the flood waters over theagricultural lands adjoining the river channel will be greatly limited,owing to the fact that the river channel will always have adequatecapacity to accommodate the maximum of the flood waters.

The physical effect of this will be that the load removed from thevaluable soils of the agricultural lands will be lessened, and theamount of sediments, gravel and other substances deposited in the bed ofthe river channel will be greatly reduced,

By these results the economic status of the system will be greatlyenhanced, the cost of dredging the'river channel so as to main- I tainan adequate depth for navigation, will be reduced, and the productivityof valuable agricultural lands maintained at their highest point.

When the depth of the mouth of a rive is such that the high velocitystream will in terfere with surface navigation either in theriverchannel or in the sea into which the. river empties, then thedischarge pipes of the pumps can be lowered so that an adequate depthwill be eroded and maintained, and the high velocity stream will notinterferewith surface navigation; Thev adjustment of such problems iswholly a matter of local engineering, gauging, and control.

Another and, very important result obtained is that the system insuresagainst a closing of the mouth of a river by river deposits, realiZed inthe formation of a bar, or shallow depth, so that there is ready at alltimes meansfor clearing away a bar, by' simply operating the pumps.l/Vhen it is not desired to operate the pumps the discharge and intakepipes may be elevated and in spected for any required repairs.

In Fig.7 an electric motor drive is shown wherein the motor Cm isconnected by means of a belt to the centrifugal pump or accelerator C.The power plant employed in connection with each pump is operatedthrough the medium of electrical energy generated at a point distantfrom the section of the river channel in which the system ofacceleration is applied, so that energy is added to the stream insteadof taken from the stream: or such power plant is operated through themedium of fuel consumed in the usual manner and the power thus generatedis transmitted to the stream so as to accelerate its flow. The pumps andpower plants may be arranged in dry pits or otherwise in the streamchannel, or upon islands existing in the stream channel.

Having described my invention I claim:

1. The method of preventing overflow on lowlands lying adjacent to astream consisting in accelerating by means of an artificial hydraulichead generated directly in the stream, the velocity of the stream.

2. The method of preventing overflow on lowlands lying adjacent a streamconsisting in controlling the height of the stream surface byaccelerating the velocity of flow of the stream through its channelmouthby mechanical acceleration.

3. The method of preventing overflow on lowlands lying adjacent a streamconsisting in placing in the stream to be regulated me chanical flowaccelerators and operating said accelerators by means of power derivedfrom a source independent of the energy of the stream at the point theaccelerators act upon the stream.

4. The method of preventing overflow on lowlands lying adjacent a streamconsisting in disposing a pump discharge conduit means in the streamchannel facing in the direction of flow, disposing intake conduit meansin the stream and causing the stream Waters to flow through thedischarge conduit means from the intake, conduit means at a. velocity offlow greatly beyond that of the stream. I

5. The method of preventing overflow on lowlands lying adjacent a streamconsisting in disposing pump intake and discharge conduit means in thestream channel facing in the direction of flow of the stream, anrangingcontinuously acting pumping de vices betweenintake and discharge conduitmeans, and operating said devices to accelerate the velocity of flow ofthe stream at the points acted on beyond the velocity of flow producedby the forces of gravity acting on the stream to produce flow.

6. The method of preventing overflow on lowlands lying adjacent to astream consist-ing in generating from the waters of the stream to beregulated a high velocity stream of less cross sectional area than thestrean'i by means of mechanical accelerators operated so as to add tothe energy of the stream so regulated.

T. The method of preventing overflow on lowlands lying adjacent to astream consisting in generating from the Waters of the stream to beregulated a high velocity stream of less cross sectional area than thestream by'means of mechanical accelerators and varying the relation ofsaid high velocity stream to the bed of the stream channel to intensifyor modify the erosive action of said high velocity stream upon thechannel bed.

8. The method of preventing overflow on lowlands lying adjacent to astream consisting in disposing pumping means in line with the stream tobe regulated with the intake of said pumping means facing upstream andthe outlet of said pumping means facing down stream and operating saidpumping means to increase the total energy acting on the stream toproduce flow, whereby the stream velocity will be increased beyond thatpossible from the pressure due to gravity alone.

9. The method of preventing overflow of lowlands lying adjacent a streamconsisting in inducing high velocity current in the stream to beregulated, in the direction of the mouth of the stream by mechanicalaccelerating means immersed in the stream and acting directly thereon.

10. The method of influencing the carrying capacity of a natural streamchannel in which Water is flowing under pressure of gravity consistingin accelerating the natural flow of the stream waters by acceleratingmeans immersed in the stream, and operating said means by energy from asource external to the stream itself at the; point of location" of saidmeans.

11. The method of preventing overflow on lowlands of a flowing streamwhich consists in confining the flood waters of the stream within itsbanks by increasing the velocity of flow through the mouth of the streamchannel by means of mechanical accelerators.

12; The method of influencing stream flow in stream channels in whichwater is flowing under the influence of gravity, consisting inenergizing a current of water downstreainto flow at a higher velocitythan the velocity due to gravity alone and varying the relation of saidcurrent to the bed of the channel to vary the erosive action of thestream waters upon the Cllitlb nel bed.

JO EPH J. OBltll lN

